This weekend in sports: Dog Days at the Rays, Bucs, Bulls, Gators, Seminoles

LARA CERRI | Times
Alicia and Eric Moore, of Tampa, hang out with 2-year-old Lucia, an American Eskimo/Shetland Sheepdog mix they got from a rescue group, at Bark in the Park Day at the Rays baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2013. Hundreds of people took their dogs to the *tbt Party Deck section to watch the baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2013.

OCTAVIO JONES | Times
South Florida Bulls quarterback Blake Barnett (11) runs the ball plant Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Victor Alexander (9) during the first half of the game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, September 8, 2018.

DOG DAYS: NINE INNINGS OF K9S

What could be better than watching baseball with your best friend? As in your furry friend. Sunday’s game (1:10) at the Trop is Dog Day at the Rays, where $30 gets a seat for you and your leashed pooch in the tbt* Party Deck along with a Rays Dog Day-themed item. There also will be dog-themed activities throughout the game, including a Doggie Kissing Booth and a raffle that benefits local pet charities. Use the password DOG1 when buying tickets (deadline: 11:59 tonight). Note: You must sign a waiver stating that your dog’s vaccinations are up to date. The game is the tail-end — see what we did there? — of a three-game series with the Athletics. Friday night’s game is at 7:10 and Saturday’s is at 6:10 p.m. For a list of promotions and complete details, visit mlb.com/rays. Ticket prices vary by game. Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Drive, St. Petersburg. Toll-free 1-888-326-7297.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: TIME TO HIT THE COUCH

It’s Week 3 in college football, and we may now have a fairly good idea about where the season is headed for the Bulls, Gators and Seminoles. For FSU, it could get ugly fast. The Seminoles (1-1) narrowly avoided a disaster in their win over Division I-AA Samford and now hit the road to face ACC rival Syracuse (noon Saturday, ESPN). USF (2-0) looked good in beating Georgia Tech but Big Ten host Illinois (3:30 p.m. Saturday, BTN) — led by former Bucs coach Lovie Smith — should prove a bigger test. The Gators, meanwhile, saw their 31-game winning streak against Kentucky end, which must be some type of omen. They next host Colorado State (4 p.m. Saturday, SEC). Hey, isn’t that were Jim McElwain coached before the Gators lured him away? We know how that hire worked out. Maybe UF can use that as motivation.

BUCCANEERS: IT’S FITZMAGIC

Hell froze over in the Bucse_SSRq opener as backup QB Ryan "Fitzmagic" Fitzpatrick threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns in the shocking 48-40 win in New Orleans. Sure, it’s only one game, and the Super Bowl champion Eagles next visit RayJay (with the Steelers to follow), but could we eventually have a QB controversy when Jameis Winston returns from suspension? 1 p.m. Sunday. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. Ticket prices vary by game. (813) 350-6500. TV: Fox; radio: 97.9-FM.